A Summer of Summer
by jessalyn78
Summary: As Ryan and Summer help each other through Marissa's death some unexpected feelings occur between the two of them. Warning: sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

As Ryan opened the door everything within him felt relieved. There was Summer, she was okay, and she was standing right in front of him.

"Where have you been?" he asked urgently.

"I just went for a walk" Summer answered matter of factly. "I needed to clear my head."

"I've been worried about you" Ryan responded. "After what happened the other night…Summer you know you're not safe alone in a place like this."

"Do you honestly think that is what I'm worried about right now Ryan!" Summer snapped.

"Look, I know what's happening here is… confusing."

"Confusing?" Summer asked. "Ryan, we kissed. Me and you kissed. This can't happen…"

"Why not?" Ryan asked.

"Because…" she said searching her mind for an explanation. "You're Seth's brother."

"And you and Seth aren't together anymore Sum."

"Do you honestly think he'd be okay with this?" she retorted. "I can't come between you two…"

"Summer" Ryan interrupted. "I love Seth, him and the Cohen's they're my family. But you…"

"Me what?"

"You've gotten under my skin. I… I'm falling in love with you."

"Don't say that" Summer responded as tears welled up in her eyes. "This can't happen."

"You feel it too don't you?" Ryan asked.

"Of course I do!" Summer yelled. "But I can't do this to Seth or to Marissa."

"Summer" Ryan said softly. "You know Marissa's dead."

"You think I don't know that?" Summer yelled. "I know that, I deal with that every damn day!"

"Me too" Ryan responded sympathetically. "It seemed like I would never make it through. I felt like I had nothing. I wanted to die. Until…"

"Until what?"

"Until I had a reason to smile again. Until you insisted on coming here with me to help me find Volchok. Until you spent an entire afternoon rehashing seasons 1-4 of the Valley and you were able to quote it almost line for line. Until you fell asleep crying in my arms on Marissa's birthday. Until I saw you dancing to that Justin Timberlake song when you thought I wasn't watching. Until I noticed that you have the most freaking adorable laugh I've ever heard in my life. Until, damn it, until I fell in love with you Summer!"

"How long have you known?" she asked stony faced.

"How long have I known what?"

"That you're… that you…"

"That I love you?"

"Yeah."

"A long time" Ryan sighed. "A really freaking long time. But, it wasn't until last night that I knew I had to tell you. That I knew I needed to be with you."

"You did always have a white knight complex" Summer responded rolling her eyes.

"When I thought that those guys might have…"

"They didn't. Ryan, I'm fine."

"I never should have let you come here. It isn't safe. I'm bringing you back to Newport. Tomorrow."

"No!" Summer protested. "Ryan, we are so close to finding him."

"What if that's the reason those guys tried to attack you Summer, what if he knows we're on to him and he sent them here, what if he goes after you again?"

"Ryan, we don't know if that is even what is happening."

"We don't know that it isn't. Summer if something happened to you, it would kill me."

"If I go back to New Port that will kill me!" Summer loudly protested. "Ryan I was suffocating there, I was just as lost as you were…"

"I don't want this to end. Me and you together like this. I don't want it to end Summer, not ever…"

"I don't either" Summer admitted tearing up. "But Ryan, I still love Seth."

Those words felt like a knife through Ryan's chest. He could only think of two other times in his life where simple words had hurt him so deeply. The first, was when he heard them pronounce Marissa dead. He already knew she was dead. He was certain that he knew the exact moment that she slipped away as he held her in his arms. But to hear the actual words… It was so final, so official. The other time was when his mother threw him out. He was just a kid, and he had no idea where he would go or what he would do. He felt so rejected and lost. But this was simply torture. He wanted Summer, he wanted her so bad that it hurt. He wanted to be with her, to kiss her, to make love to her, to hold her. And she was telling him that she was in love with his brother.

"But…" Summer continued as a tear fell down her cheek. "I think I'm falling in love with you too."

"Really?" Ryan asked hopefully as he moved closer to her.

"Yeah" she admitted breathlessly. "And it's scary, and it's new, and I didn't expect it. I never expected it. I remember a few months ago, when me and you and Seth and Marissa went swimming at that model house when just the thought of being with you made me laugh."

"I believe 'ew' was your exact word" Ryan replied with a smile. At the time, he had a similar reaction. Summer was Seth's girlfriend and Marissa's best friend. He always looked at Summer as off limits, until he didn't.

"Even though we broke up, this would kill Seth" she said as she moved closer to him. "And we'd be crapping all over Marissa's memory. This goes against everything I am…"

"I know" Ryan replied sympathetically. "This isn't exactly what I thought was going to happen either Sum, but now. I don't think I can fight it."

"Me either" Summer sighed as she fell in to him and crashed her lips onto his.

It was an urgent kiss. And as it went on, it grew even more urgent. Summer pulled away for a moment and looked at Ryan. He was convinced that he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. Her hair was messy, her lips were swollen, and she was staring at him with her big, beautiful, dark eyes as if she was silently asking him what was going to happen. Ryan wanted her worse than he ever wanted anybody, but he knew how much she was struggling. He didn't want to push. He gently brushed her hair behind her ear and caressed her chin.

"You okay Roberts?" he asked softly.

"Yeah" Summer whispered shakily as her hands journeyed down Ryan's abdomen and began to pull at the hem of his shirt. Ryan held back a groan and assisted her in pulling it off. He began kissing her again, just as intense as he had before. He lifted her off of the ground with one hand and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He was fascinated by how light she was. How someone so passionate, and full of vigor; someone who had changed his life so completely in only a few short, months could feel so light in his arms, could look so vulnerable as she looked up at him while he laid her down on the bed.

"You want this?" he asked hoping harder than he had in his entire life that she'd say yes.

"Yes" she moaned as she pulled him back on top of her. He ran his hand up her skirt and explored the skin on her hips. She felt so soft, she smelled so good. He had never been so aroused. "You're so beautiful" he whispered in her ear as he slid her panties down her smooth legs.

"I love you" she responded breathlessly.

"I love you too Summer Roberts" he answered as he began to kiss her neck.

Summer spread her legs as Ryan finally worked his pants and boxers.

"I can't believe this is finally happening" he moaned as he lowered himself into her.

Summer gasped, and Ryan was convinced that he had never found a simple noise quite so sexy.

The feeling of finally becoming one with Summer was more than Ryan could handle- the feeling of her clenching around him, the sound of her moaning and gasping, the look of her face growing flush. Just when Ryan thought that the situation couldn't get any hotter, he was reminded of one of the many reasons he fell in love with Summer as she flipped him around so she was on top.

"I like to be on top" Summer explained as she thrusted onto him.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" he asked huskily as he ran his hand over the smooth skin of her stomach.

As Summer moved faster it took everything within him to hold back his orgasm. He wanted to wait until she came first. He was actually more excited to watch her experience release than he was to feel his own. The thought of Summer losing control because of what he was doing to her was just about the hottest thing Ryan could imagine, and he wasn't disappointed when it finally happened.

"Oh" Summer gasped as she started to clench around him uncontrollably. Her breath was shaky and her voice was trembling.

"Say my name" Ryan urged her gently.

"RYAN!" Summer screamed as she threw her head back.

That was enough for Ryan, he couldn't hold on any longer. He let go and experienced the most powerful release of his life.

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"That was amazing" Ryan said finally breaking the silence that had existed between him and Summer for the last few minutes.

Summer snuggled into his chest as he pulled the blanket up to cover both of them.

"Ry?" Summer asked in a small, vulnerable voice.

"Yeah sweetheart?" Ryan answered kissing her head.

"What happens now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what happens now?"

Ryan's heart sunk in his chest. He thought that the act of consummation guaranteed that Summer wanted to be with him, but now she seemed so unsure of the future and she had admitted before they made love that she still loved Seth.

"I guess" Ryan said trying to steady his voice "I guess whatever you want Sum."

"What do you want?" she asked shakily.

"I want to be with you" he answered quickly. "I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

"That sounds nice" Summer admitted as she drew imaginary circles on his chest with her finger.

"Is that what you want too?" Ryan asked hopefully.

"A few months ago I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with Seth. I never imagined that I'd be in bed with his brother."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life. But I know that right now, being here with you, it feels pretty perfect."

"Well" Ryan said "I guess that will have to be enough for me right now."

**Thanks for reading, Please Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

As Ryan watched Summer sleep he thought back to the events that led to this moment. He never meant for Summer to get involved in his plan to find Volchok. He was going to rent a room, somewhere close to the border and look for the son of a bitch until he found him. He kept the plan secret from the Cohen's, knowing that they would try to stop him. However, when Summer figured out what he was doing she insisted on going with him. Ryan was shocked, he didn't have Summer pegged for the type of person that would seek revenge, but she was just as into the plan as he was.

The first night Ryan and Summer staid in their motel room they had slept in separate beds, and had barely spoken to each other, but it seemed wrong that she was there with him instead of with Seth where he thought, at the time, she should be. And, on that first night he was convinced that the trashy little motel room in the middle of nowhere was exactly where he needed to be. Imagining getting justice for Marissa was the only escape he had from his pain, and now that he had a plan to make sure that Volchok would pay for what he had done, he could feel some form of peace. Now, just a few months later, as he laid in that same room with Summer in his arms the situation felt completely reversed. Having Summer with him was the only thing that felt right. He had longed to hold her for so long, and now she was exactly where he thought she belonged. But he knew he had to get Summer out of there. It wasn't safe. He cringed as he thought back to the events of the night before.

_"Sum?" Ryan asked as he returned to their room with a bag full of Chinese food cartons. "I got us some food."_

_"Hey" he continued as he set the food down on a table and knocked on the bathroom door. "You in here Roberts?" Ryan got his cell out of his pocket and hit the first number on his speed dial._

_"Hey it's Summer, leave a message."_

_"Where the hell are you?" Ryan said to himself as he slammed the phone shut. He had taken the car to get the food, so she couldn't have gone far. "She probably just went for a walk" he reasoned to himself. He knew that was what Summer did whenever she was sad or overwhelmed . "I wonder what upset her?" he thought to himself. As more time went on Ryan became more nervous. They were in a terrible area of town, and Summer Roberts was a lot of things, but street smart wasn't one of them. He figured he'd go looking for her. If nothing else, she probably would like the company and Ryan hated the thought of Summer alone and upset out there._

_Ryan began to panic a little as he walked Summer's usual route for the third time in a row and still didn't see her. "Summer!" he began to call out as he walked. "Summer!" he continued as the urgency in his voice increased. Suddenly he heard a whimper coming from the alley he was standing near and his heart stopped. He grew frantic as he ran towards the sound and noticed a petite brunette lying on the ground. "Summer!?" he yelled as he wrapped an arm around her. "Oh my God, what happened!?"_

_"I- I'm okay" Summer said as she sat up and smoothed her skirt. "I just think I passed out, for a few minutes."_

_"What the hell happened?" he asked as he softly caressed the bruise on her cheek._

_"There were these two guys…"_

_"You were attacked?" Ryan asked fighting tears._

_"They said they were going to kill me," Summer said with a blank, empty expression on her face. "And I believed them."_

_"Oh my God" Ryan gasped. "Sum, they didn't. They didn't force themselves on you…?"_

_"No" Summer answered. "They just roughed me up for a few minutes. After that a cop car went by. They heard the sirens and took off."_

_"Thank God" Ryan sighed as he pulled her into a hug. "Sum, I'm so sorry I wasn't here…"_

_"There's no way you could have known" Summer interrupted._

_"You must have been so scared" Ryan said, his voice breaking, as he caressed her arm._

_"I was" she answered. "But it's over now" she added feigning bravery as she got up and began walking._

_"Summer, where are you going?"_

_"Home" Summer answered. "Well, I mean the motel room."_

_"No way."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"I'm taking you to the hospital. Now."_

_"Ryan, I'm fine."_

_"Summer we don't know that for sure" Ryan answered softly._

_"You think I'm lying?" Summer asked heatedly._

_"Of course not, but up until a few minutes ago, honey, you were unconscious. How do you know they didn't come back and…"_

_"Because I'd know if that happened" Summer protested as tears formed in her eyes._

_"I just want to make sure you're okay Sum. What if you have a concussion, or internal bleeding?"_

_"I don't" Summer protested._

_Ryan touched her arm gently. "Please, please just let me help you."_

_"Okay" Summer answered as she broke down and began crying and Ryan wrapped her in a hug._

_"Shh" he said. "It's going to be okay. I'm never going to let anyone hurt you again. I'd die before I'd let anyone hurt you again."_

Ryan cleared his throat as he thought about how scared he had been in that moment. An intense anger rippled through him as he pushed a strand of hair out of Summer's face and saw the bruise. "Damn, Roberts" he said to himself "they could have killed you." As he sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, he thought about what had happened next.

_Luckily, at the hospital they confirmed that Summer was fine, and that she hadn't been raped. Ryan was so relieved, but he was still sick with worry when he saw Summer's face. She seemed so traumatized, and all he wanted was to wrap her in his arms and never let her go. "Hey Sum" he said softly as he got up from his seat in the waiting room and walked over to her. "How are you doing?"_

_"I'm fine" she responded coldly. "I'm ready to go home."_

_"Okay" Ryan said as he put his arm around her and gently guided her to the door. "Let's go home."_

_The car ride was filled with silence, which continued as they returned to the motel room._

_"You got Chinese?" Summer asked as she got a fork out of the single drawer the room provided next to the mini fridge._

_"Yeah, I thought you'd like it…"_

_"I do" Summer responded. "Thanks" she added with a smile._

_Summer picked up a carton of Lo Mein, plopped down on the bed, and picked up the remote. "So what do you want to watch tonight Atwood?" she asked. "We have two channels so our options are reruns of Sex and the City or Women's tennis."_

_"Summer, are you really going to act like nothing's wrong?" he asked softly as he sat next to her._

_"What would you like me to do Atwood?" Summer asked heatedly. "Curl up in the corner and cry? Nothing happened. I'm fine, just a little shaken up. It's not going to do me any good to wallow."_

_"I just don't want you to shut down like you did when…"_

_"I'm not shutting down!" Summer yelled as she quickly turned around and looked at Ryan. In the moment, she was furious. He was telling her how to feel, and what to do, who the hell did he think he was? But then she saw his face and her heart melted. He looked so sincere, so worried. "Hey" she softly "I'm okay, really I am."_

_"I just want you to feel like you can talk to me, you can always talk to me, about anything. You know that, right Summer?"_

_"I know" she smiled._

_There was tension in the air as Summer moved her face closer to Ryan's, but she halted her actions suddenly and quickly stood up. "Aren't you going to eat any?" she asked pointing at the remaining cartons. "You must be starving."_

_"Yeah" Ryan responded clearing his throat. "Yeah, I'll eat some. But I am not watching Sex and the City with you Roberts, it's bad enough that you made me watch the Valley last night."_

_"It was the season premire!" Summer protested with a wide smile on her face. "I wouldn't be a true fan, if I missed it."_

_"Whatever" Ryan responded smiling back. "I just don't think my ego could take watching another girly soap."_

_"Fine" Summer responded flicking the remote. "Women's tennis it is."_

_After about an hour Summer had fallen asleep. Ryan laughed, it was only 8:30 and she was out like a light. Maybe women's tennis wasn't the best choice. He took the food container out of her hand, pulled a blanket over her and gently kissed her head. "I love you Summer" he whispered softly as he moved to turn off the light._

_By 11:00 the next morning, Ryan was worried. Summer was still asleep. What if there was something wrong with her head? What if the experience was more traumatic than she was letting on and this was her mind's way of shutting down?_

_"Hey" he said gently as he sat next to her and gently shook her arm._

_Summer gasped loudly and her breathing quickened. Ryan realized she was having a nightmare._

_"Hey" he said louder. "It's okay, it's just me. It's just Ryan. You're okay."_

_Summer's eyes opened and she stared at him for a moment gathering her surroundings._

_"Sorry" she said as she sat up._

_"Don't be sorry" Ryan said. "Hey, what's going on? Talk to me."_

_"I just had a bad dream. No big deal."_

_"Was it about last night?"_

_"Would you stop it!" Summer scolded._

_"What?"_

_"There's no damsel in distress here Ryan Atwood, you can calm down."_

_"Summer, I just want to help you."_

_"Well, I don't need help!" Summer responded._

_"Summer you're scared. You were attacked it's perfectly normal to…"_

_"Stop!" Summer yelled."_

_"Summer, I just don't want to see you deny it, or stuff it. I want to help you deal with it."_

_"Do you want to know why I was scared!?" Summer yelled as she moved closer to Ryan. "I was scared, because if those guys had killed me, it'd mean that I'd never see you again. That you would be alone, and that this thing between us would be over!"_

_Ryan was shocked. He was staring at the girl he loved, and she may or may not have just admitted to feeling the same way. "What do you mean this thing between us?" he asked as his voice grew more intense and he cupped her face with hand._

_Summer didn't respond she just stared intensely at him and slowly moved her face towards him. Before Ryan knew what was happening they were kissing. It felt so good to feel her lips on his. He loved the feel of her, the taste of her, the smell of her. He was convinced that if he just stood there like that, with her in his arms, he could actually get high off of her._

_"Wow" Summer said quickly pulling away. "What the hell was that!?"_

_"Summer, I'm sorry. I thought you wanted-"_

_"I don't know what I want!?" Summer responded as she began to cry._

_"I-I have to go!"_

_"Summer-"_

_"I'm sorry."_

_"Summer, where are you going? Summer!"_

Ryan remembered how worried he had been the hours Summer was missing. He thought of what could have happened to her and held her closer. He wasn't sure what was going to happen. He wasn't sure if they'd end up together. But, he was sure of one thing. He was never going to let anybody hurt her; they had to go back to Newport as soon as possible.

**I decided that even though I said I wouldn't add another chapter unless their was a response, there were too many blanks left unfilled with the story the way it was, so I added another. Please review if you liked it, and I'll write more!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey you" Ryan said softly as Summer turned in the bed to face him.

"Hey" she replied sleepily. "So… that happened" she said with a smile as she started to blush.

"I'm not sure I know what you're referring to" Ryan teased as he caressed her arm.

"Oh" she teased back. "Am I that forgettable?"

"You Summer Roberts are a lot of things, but forgettable is not one of them."

"Really?" she said coyly as she pulled down the cover slightly revealing the top of her breasts. "Care to go into further detail?"

"Well" he said as he took a gulp. "For one thing you're gorgeous."

"Really? What else?"

"You're… stubborn."

"And is that good or bad?"

"Depends on the situation."

"Fair enough. What else?"

"You're smart, even though you sometimes downplay that to seem cool. You're loyal, you're probably one of the most loyal people I've ever met in my life. You'd do anything for someone you care about."

At this Summer tensed.

"Hey" Ryan said. "What's wrong?"

"It's just- I wasn't very loyal to Seth last night was I?"

"Sum- you didn't do anything wrong. You and Seth broke up."

"Yeah, but…come on!"

"What?"

"You and Seth are brothers, and we just-"

"Didn't do anything wrong" Ryan said firmly.

"Seth loves me-"

"So do I, and you love me back."

"I know" Summer sighed. "I do, I really do. I've gotten myself in the worst situation I possibly could have…"

"Really Roberts?" Ryan asked teasing her once again. "Being in bed with me is the 'worst situation you could possibly be in'".

"Being in love with two brothers is. No matter what I do, someone will get hurt."

"So, you're thinking about going back to Seth?" Ryan asked nervously, the thought knocked the wind out of him.

"I don't know what I'm going to do" Summer admitted. "I do know that I liked what happened last night. I'd like to do it again…"

"Really?" Ryan said, terrified at the prospect of losing her, but really freaking turned on at the prospect of having sex with her again.

"Yeah" she admitted grinning sheepishly.

"Well, I'd like that too Roberts. I'd like that a lot. In fact, I don't think I'm going to be able to resist you. Especially if you keep lying there looking hot as all hell with your boobs half hanging out chewing on your lip like that."

"I didn't realize I was doing that" Summer said blushing.

"Well" he said as he leaned over and kissed her, catching her bottom lip with his teeth. "You were, and I liked it. But I think I like biting it myself better."

"Really?" she said running her hands across his bare chest. "Mmmm, what else do you like to do to me?"

"I'd do anything to you to get you to make those noises you made last night."

"Was I loud?" Summer asked looking away.

"Yeah" Ryan responded with a chuckle. "And it was the sexiest thing ever."

"How about you Roberts?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've been doing all the talking here- what I like about you, what I want to do to you. You've got to do some talking too."

"Ryan" she said desperately, gazing into his eyes. "I _don't_ want to talk right now."

"Sorry Roberts" he responded as he began to draw circles on her thigh with his index finger, purposefully torturing her, "if you want me to put out again, you're going to have to do some sweet talking."

"You fight dirty" Summer said smiling. "I can fight dirty too you know" she added as she took Ryan's hand and slowly moved it towards the spot she knew Ryan was longing to touch.

"No" Ryan said firmly backing his hand away. "You have to say at least one nice thing about me first."

"Fine" Summer said defeated. "But what do you really want Atwood, sweet talk or dirty talk?"

"Sweet talk" Ryan responded. "You've only told me you love me once, without immediately reminding me that you also love Seth, and I'm not really sure if it counted because you were in the throes of passion when you said it."

"The throes of passion?" Summer replied rolling her eyes.

"I guess I need some convincing."

"I love you. Part of me has always loved you. You're sweet, and sincere, and you fight for what's right. You defend people when they can't defend themselves- you'd fight someone to the death if they were hurting someone you cared about. And you put up with a hell of a lot of my crap."

"I do" he agreed smiling.

"Now can I please touch you, because you're looking pretty damn sexy yourself."

"Summer Roberts, you can touch me anywhere you want, anytime you want" he said as he reached over and began to stroke her intimately.

"Jeez" she gasped. "Give a girl some warning if you're going to do that."

"I'm really turning you on, huh Roberts?" he asked in a husky whisper.

"Am I returning the favor?"

"Does it feel like you are?" he asked as he started to grind against her.

"Oh" Summer moaned.

"That's what I'm talking about" Ryan said appreciatively. "You make some damn sexy noises Roberts."

"Ryan, I love you, but I swear if you don't get inside me right now I'm going to kill you" Summer gasped as she started to writhe beneath him.

"I love making you squirm" he said as he eased himself into her.

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"I have to talk to you about something" Ryan said as him and Summer laid together, basking in the afterglow.

"What's that?" Summer asked still catching her breath.

"We're going to head back to Newport today."

"Oh Ryan, come on! Not this again!"

"Summer, you aren't safe here."

"Ryan, I am as safe here as I am anywhere. I was attacked, it was a random one-time thing, it just as easily could have happened in Newport."

"Yeah, that isn't true Sum. This is a really bad area. I never should have brought you here."

"You brought me here for a reason. Remember? Marissa."

"Yeah, I guess I just find keeping you safe more important than getting revenge. Marissa would want that too."

"Yeah, and I'm sure she'd want us to have sex too!"

"Summer-"

"You do realize that if we go back to Newport this is over right?"

"That doesn't have to happen."

"Are you kidding me!? What do you think is going to happen? You think you and me are going to live in the Cohen's pool house and everyone will be cool with that. Seth will wish us well, and you'll go to him for advice about me. Ryan Seth's going to be devastated and furious. The Cohen's are going to hate me…

"They are not…"

"Ryan, do you honestly see this working out!"

"If we want it enough…"

"I don't think I could hurt Seth like that."

"I want you to be safe Sum."

"Hey" he said softly as she noticed she was crying. "Hey sweetheart, don't cry. I'm going to keep you safe."

"Damn it Ryan I don't want you to keep me safe, I want you to be with me!"

"You do? Really?"

"Yes! I don't want this to end. Not yet. Not like this. And if we go back to Newport right now, this will end…"

**Please Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

"It doesn't have to be that way" Ryan argued. "It'll be hard at first, but Summer in time…"

"In time nothing Ryan. Me and you are two of the most important people to Seth. You're his surrogate brother and I'm…"

"You're?"

"He loves me."

"He broke up with you" Ryan scoffed.

"Yes" Summer said as she inhaled deeply. "But don't you remember why?"

"He didn't want you to come here with me."

"Exactly, so don't you think this is going to piss him off?"

"I don't really care if does" Ryan confessed.

"Ryan-"

"I love Seth. I don't want to hurt him, but…"

"You think going back to New Port and shoving the fact that we're sleeping together in Seth's face is a good idea?"

"I think I want you safe."

"I am safe!"

"Damn it Summer" Ryan snapped as he caressed her face. "They bruised you here, and here" he added as he ran his finger down her neck to the top of her chest.

Summer tried to ignore the effect Ryan was having on her.

"I have bruises" she said coldly. "They'll heal. I'm fine."

"You're scared" Ryan said softly. "You've been having nightmares."

"Yes!" Summer snapped. "It's no big deal, after what happened with Frank I used to get them all the time."

"What happened with Frank?" Ryan repeated confused.

Summer looked away. "It's an expression" she replied.

"I've never hear that expression" Ryan said suspiciously as he guided her face towards him and looked her eyes which he noticed were filled with tears.

"Summer?" Ryan asked softly. "Who the hell is Frank?"

"Oh my God" Summer gasped. "I can't tell you that. I never told anyone that, not even Seth…"

"Never told him what?" Ryan asked his voice growing urgent.

"Nothing!" Summer snapped. "It's nothing. God Atwood, you're so high maintenance!" Summer said forcing a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

"Summer!" Ryan said desperately. "Tell me."

"Let's just say I meant what I said before. What happened to me here could just as easily happen in New Port…"

Ryan felt his blood run cold. "Are you saying that in New Port…"

"It was a long time ago" Summer said clearing her throat. "Before I dated Seth, before I even met you…"

"How old were you?" Ryan asked as his eyes filled with tears.

"13" Summer admitted uncomfortably. "It was my mother's boyfriend. That's why she left…"

"Shit" Ryan muttered. "You were just a little girl. And this bastard he…"

"I don't want to talk about it" Summer said clearing her throat.

"Have you ever talked to anyone about it?" Ryan asked as he rubbed his brow nervously.

"My mother" Summer scoffed. "She didn't believe me."

"My God" Ryan whispered.

"I haven't even thought about it in years" Summer said trying to sound breezy. "I don't even know why I'm talking about it."

"Yesterday, must have scared you so much" Ryan said softly.

"Ryan-"

"It scared me too you know" he confessed.

"Really?" she asked.

"Are you kidding me? Summer, I've never been so scared in my life!"

"Not even? Never mind…"

"What?"

"What about when Marissa…"

"Oh" Ryan gasped. "I mean…"

"It's okay" Summer interrupted. "I know you didn't mean it. It's just something someone says 'I've never been so scared in my life' it's kind of like 'I'm so hungry I could eat a horse"' Summer babbled nervously.

"Right" Ryan responded.

"God" he sighed as he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Who could ever hurt you?"

"I didn't mean to upset you" Summer said as she shifted uncomfortably.

"You didn't" Ryan said softly. "I mean I'd really like to pound the shit out of the bastard, just like I'd really like to pound the shit out of those guys from yesterday, but I feel really lucky that I'm the one you trusted enough to tell."

"Yeah" Summer said as she took Ryan's hand in hers.

"Oh my God" Ryan gasped. "Is that why you don't want to go back to New Port?"

"What?"

"You don't feel safe there either, because what happened yesterday reminded you…"

"You're good Atwood" Summer said as she cleared her throat. "That isn't the only reason, but yeah. I really don't want to have to go back to the place where that happened, now that I'm having such vivid flashbacks…"

"You're having flashbacks?" Ryan asked concerned.

"It's fine" Summer said shaking it off.

"Roberts-" Ryan said softly. "Hey, talk to me."

"I just don't want to go back there okay! And it's not just because of that. Seth's there, and I don't want to face him. My dad's in Seattle, and everything just reminds me of Marissa and it hurts!" Summer yelled as tears started to roll down her face.

Ryan grabbed her in his arms and started to rock her.

"Shh" he said softly. "We don't have to go back sweetie, but we can't stay here either."

"No" Summer sniffled. "We have to keep looking for Volchok."

"Summer-"

"We can't let him get away with this Ryan. Please!"

"Summer, I want you safe."

"I'll stay safe" Summer pleaded. "I will stay in coped up in this damn motel room unless you are with me, I promise! I won't run off on my own again."

"Okay" Ryan sighed. "But-"

"But what?"

"There's a few things I need to teach you Roberts."

"What do you mean?" Summer asked curiously as she followed Ryan to the motel room closet.

"A gun?" she gasped.

"Yes" he responded. "I'm going to teach you how to defend yourself."

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	5. Chapter 5

"You've had that gun in the closet the whole time we've been here?" Summer asked in an angry tone as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Uh-oh" Ryan teased. "Am I about to face the famous wrath of Summer Roberts?"

"Atwood! How could you not tell me there was a freaking gun in the closet!?"

"Well, I'm telling you now" he shrugged. "Come here."

"We should probably get dressed before you give me a gun lesson" she murmured as she rolled her eyes.

"I think it'd be more fun like this" Ryan teased.

"At least let me throw a shirt on" she giggled as she picked his up from the floor and threw it over her head. "There."

Ryan stared at her intently for a moment before she interrupted the silence lingering between them.

"What?" she snapped, trying to sound mad, but failing miserably as a wide grin spread across her face.

"I just can't figure out if you're sexier naked, or wearing my clothes."

"Stop it" she laughed as she playfully slapped his arm. "Show me how to shoot."

"Okay" he said as he put the gun in her hands and gently guided her in front of him. He stroked her arm as he leaned in closer to her. "Now this is sexy" he whispered in her ear.

"Well you still better pay attention Atwood, I don't want us to accidentally kill each other" she answered dryly.

"The safety is on" he scoffed. "Do you really think I'd hand you a gun if it wasn't? I actually value my life; I don't want it to end because you're having a rage blackout."

"That's the thing" she said as she squirmed against him gently. "You don't have to worry about me killing you as long as you're giving me amazing sex. You'd do well to remember that too."

"Stop that" he said as he placed his hands on her shoulders, stilling her. "I want you to actually learn something, and if you keep moving around like that I'm not going to be able to stop myself from throwing you back on that bed."

"Okay fine, enough joking around" she giggled. "Show me how to shoot."

"Okay" he said gently. "First of all, you should take you finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire."

"I'm actually going to shoot it?" she asked as her eyes widened.

"No" he laughed. "Not in here. I'll take you to the shooting range sometime if you want though."

"Okay" she said, the disappointment evident in her voice. "Now what?"

"Always point the gun down range" he said gently guiding her arms down. "Away from any person, unless you're defending yourself of course."

"Okay" Summer nodded, taking the information in.

"Spread your legs" he whispered against her neck.

"Excuse me?" she asked arching a brow as she turned to face him.

"Your legs should be shoulder width apart" he explained as he chuckled at her.

"Oh" she murmured as she did what he said. "Now what?"

"Put your left foot a step back" he instructed, guiding her by the shoulders. "Now" he sighed "if you were actually going to shoot, you'd want to aim for the center of whatever it was you were aiming at."

"Like a gang of angry thugs?" she joked.

"Don't talk like that" he scolded in a serious tone. The last thing he ever wanted to think of was Summer in danger. It hit way too close to home after recent events.

"Okay" she rolled her eyes. "Sorry, Mr. Serious."

"Serious about you" he said as he kissed her cheek. "At this point you'd put your finger on the trigger and _slowly_ squeeze it, but we aren't going to do that today. I don't think the world is ready for an armed and dangerous Summer Roberts just yet."

"Fine" she pouted, in that sexy way that Ryan just couldn't resist.

"I think that's enough for your first lesson" he said gently as she spun him around to face him. "Feel more empowered?"

"I guess" she giggled. "Though I haven't been able to stop thinking about that whole throwing me onto the bed thing since you mentioned it. Sounds pretty hot."

"Oh yeah?" he asked teasingly.

"Yeah" she grinned back.

"Well I'll have to see what I can do about that" he said as he lifter her into his arms.

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Ryan and Summer laid in one another's arms, silently recovering from another intense round of lovemaking. Ryan looked down at Summer and smiled, she really was_ so_ beautiful. But, she was more than that. Of all the girls he had ever been with she definitely had the most personality. She was spunky, and smart, and tough. But he could tell that she was still shaken up from everything that had happened. She was good at convincing people that she was okay, but not Ryan, not in moments like these anyway when they were so connected.

"Hey" he said gently as he nudged her. "You okay?"

"Fine" she answered as she cleared her throat and smiled widely.

"Don't do that" he scolded gently.

"What?" she asked.

"Pretend everything is okay when it isn't. You're upset. Tell me what's up, I want to help you."

As she looked at Ryan and saw the sincerity in his eyes her heart melted, as incredibly cheesy and un-Summer like as that sounded, he really cared about her and wanted to help her. That wasn't something she was used to. In that moment she would have been willing to tell him anything he wanted to hear. "It's just weird" she shrugged.

"What? Being with me?" he asked, panicked slightly for a moment.

"No" she smiled. "Not being with you, just you knowing about everything that happened. No one has ever known, and… I don't know, it just makes me feel so-"

"Vulnerable?" he asked sympathetically.

She nodded shyly. "I feel exposed, like I'm naked or something."

"Actually" he teased. "You _are _naked right now, and you look pretty damn good so-"

"Stop" she scolded, playfully slapping his arm.

"Would it help if I told you something about my past?" he asked as he nuzzled his nose against her hair.

"Maybe" she shrugged. "But, only if you want to" she didn't want to manipulate him into to talking. Ryan had always been very tight lipped about his past and she assumed there was a good reason for that.

"See this?" he asked, pointing to a scar on his chest.

"Yeah" she answered wide-eyed.

"I've always told everyone that I fell of my bike" he said, staring off into the distance.

"But you didn't?" she asked with fear in her voice.

"No" he sighed. "One of my mom's boyfriends burned me with a curling iron. Wasn't the only time he got physical with me either. He used to beat the shit out of me all the time."

"How old were you?" she asked as she turned his face towards hers.

"Ten" he answered.

"I'm so sorry" she said as tears filled her eyes.

"Don't be" he said softly. "I didn't tell you so you'd feel sorry for me, I told you so you'd know that you aren't the only one with a past. You aren't the only one who can feel vulnerable. You trusted me enough to tell me what happened to you, and I trust you so… there it is."

"I love you" she said as she held him tightly

"And I love you, Roberts" he sighed. "I love you too."

**Please Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Ryan woke with a start when he realized that the space in the bed next to him was empty. He quickly scanned the room for Summer and saw no sign of her.

"Summer?" he called frantically as he stood to his feet. "Sum, where are you?"

Damn it, had she left the motel room? She promised she wouldn't but she was a stubborn little thing, he knew there was a good chance she had taken off despite her promise.

"Hey Atwood, where's the fire?" she asked sarcastically as she walked out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair.

"You scared the shit out of me" he said angrily.

"Sorry?" she said rolling her eyes. "Next time I take a shower I'll make sure to warn you. If you want we can get one of the bars they make for old people for me to hang onto in there so I won't fall."

Summer's sarcasm made him realize how much he had been overreacting. Summer was perfectly safe. He just couldn't help but want to protect her after the events of the past few days.

"I thought you left" he explained as he sat on the bed and sleepily rubbed his forehead.

"Oh" she answered. "That would explain the freak out."

"I just worry about you" he sighed.

"I know" she smiled as she sat next to him. "But you don't need to. I'm armed and dangerous now, remember?"

"Oh I'm never going to forget how sexy you looked holding that gun" he murmured.

"No more talking like that" she scolded. "It's two in the afternoon and so far all we've gotten done, besides taking part in your very informative gun lesson, is having lots of sex."

"And why are you complaining?" he scoffed. "That sounds like the coolest day ever."

"Atwood, are you forgetting what we're doing in this ew-worthy, run-down motel? We're trying to find your arch-nemesis, the bastard that killed Coop…"

"I didn't forget" he snapped. "I just don't know how much I like having you involved in this anymore."

"Oh stop" she said, rolling her eyes. "I can kick ass and you know it."

"Really? Because you didn't so such a great job of it the other day!" he yelled in the heat of the moment, frustrated that she was fighting him so hard on keeping her safe.

Ryan's words stung Summer on their way out. He saw her as weak, and as far as she was concerned that was the worst way he could have seen her. If she was honest her strength was one of the only things she truly admired about herself. It was what made her a good friend to Marissa while she was self-destructing, and what made her a good daughter to her father even though he was so absent. Her strength was who she was, and if Ryan didn't see that he didn't really know her at all. "I was cornered" she scoffed. "And there was more than one guy, and they were like huge…"

"Sum, I'm sorry" he muttered, realizing that she was upset. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad, you just have to realize that there's a real danger here."

"And you have to realize that I can take care of myself" she said heatedly. "Okay? I don't need to be rescued."

"I get that" he nodded. "I just really don't feel like you're safe here, and that drives me freaking nuts."

"Wasn't that the whole point of teaching me how to shoot?" she asked.

"Yeah" he shrugged. "But what if that isn't enough?"

"I think I know what's going on here" she said taking a deep breath as the situation suddenly became clear to her- the issue wasn't her, it was Ryan. "You're freaked out that someone's going to kill me… just like someone killed Marissa."

"I was right there with her Sum" he scoffed. "I couldn't do anything to protect her or save her. She died in my arms."

"That was not your fault" Summer said sympathetically as she rubbed his arm soothingly.

"I loved Marissa" he said sadly. "I really did."

"I know" Summer nodded as she choked back tears. "I loved her too."

"I wasn't finished" he said softly. "I loved Marissa, and she isn't the only woman I've ever loved either. Theresa, Lindsay, Sadie…"

"Okay" Summer scoffed. "Is the point of this to make me feel insecure about all the women you've slept with?"

"No" he chuckled. "My point is that I've been in love before, but never like this. How I feel about you scares me because I know first-hand that it's possible to lose someone you love."

"And that's why you're being crazy and over-protective?" she asked teasingly.

"Watch it" he scolded playfully.

"Listen, Atwood" Summer sighed. "I can't promise you that I'm never going to die because, well someday I _am_ going to die, but I can promise that if you keep acting like this I'm going to have to kill you in your sleep."

"Is that your way of telling me stop worrying?" he laughed.

"I'm stronger than I look" she nodded. "I'm wiry and I'm not afraid to play dirty."

"Oh I know" he smiled. "We just got done playing dirty a few hours ago."

"Easy there tiger" she laughed. "I'm starving, do you want to go out to lunch?"

"Sure" he sighed. "What are you in the mood for?"

"It doesn't matter as long as its food" she shrugged. "But I have to finish drying my hair first."

"Alright" he smiled, checking her out as she walked away.

He leaned back in bed and stared at the ceiling. He wasn't sure exactly why, but talking things out with Summer eased his mind a little bit. Summer was so loving and gentle when someone she loved needed it, but she also had no problem threatening to kick his ass when she was upset. Somehow even that was comforting, she was so refreshingly genuine, he never had to worry about what Summer was thinking or feeling. He never really thought to far ahead into the future with the girls he had dated before, he just enjoyed the time he spent with them, but with Summer it was different. He knew she was the one for him. He'd marry her someday.

"Ready to go Atwood?" she asked with a smirk.

"Yeah" he smiled as he stood to his feet. "Let's go."

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"How do you stay so thin?" Ryan asked in wonder as the pair made their way down the side walk hand in hand. "You eat like a freaking horse."

"Shut up" Summer laughed, slapping his arm playfully.

"I'm serious" he continued with a chuckle. "You ate more of that pizza then I did."

"Well I worked up an appetite with you earlier" she said wryly. Ryan was thinking of a response, but he was interrupted by the sound of a cellphone ringing.

"That's me" Summer sighed as she pulled it out of her pocket. "Oh my God" she gasped.

"What is it?" Ryan asked worriedly.

"It's Seth" she answered as the color drained from her face. "I don't even know how he got this number, I switched phones…"

"Are you going to answer it?" Ryan asked hoping that she'd say no. Hoping that she'd ignore the call and that they'd continue joking around and ignore the inevitable conflict that was going to result from the being together. But, he knew that wasn't realistic.

Summer nodded as she mustered up all of the courage she had inside of her and picked up the phone. "Hey Cohen" she said nervously.

**Please Review! I'm going to try to update soon, I promise!**


	7. Chapter 7

Ryan sat on a cold, metal bench watching Summer intently. She had walked a few feet away, he assumed so she could have some privacy, but he could tell by her body language that she was upset. He wasn't proud of it, but he was actually feeling rather jealous. He was falling pretty fast for Summer, and she had admitted to him only days before that she was still in love with Seth. He had witnessed the connection between them firsthand. With Seth in her life again, where did that leave him?

"No, Ryan's doing good too" he heard as she walked closer to him. "Do you want to talk to him?"

A combination of guilt and jealousy made Ryan dread talking to Seth. He cringed until Summer looked in his direction and shook her head. "Okay, well I'll talk to you later then. Okay. Bye, Seth."

"He, um- didn't want to talk to me?" Ryan asked nervously. What did that mean? Had she told him?

"He was in a hurry" she explained with a shrug.

"Why did he call?"

"Believe it or not, he had information about Volchok" Summer said mystified as she sat next to Ryan.

"What?" Ryan gasped.

"I guess he hired a private investigator."

"But why would he do that?"

"He said he wanted to help, and that he wants us back in New Port sooner rather than later" she said as she cleared her throat. "The guy he hired found an address…I actually don't think it's too far from here."

"Okay, I'll check it out" Ryan shrugged.

"You mean _we_" Summer corrected.

"No, I mean me."

"Ryan-"

"Summer, no. I don't want you going anywhere near him."

"Atwood, you're being silly. Seth didn't have a problem with the idea of me going."

"Well did you tell Seth you were nearly gang raped?" Ryan asked angrily.

"Of course not" Summer scoffed.

"Well Seth would agree with me if he knew what happened. Trust me."

"We don't know if Volchok was even behind that, and even if he was-"

"Look!" Ryan interrupted rubbing his forehead in frustratation. "I agreed to stay here with you because you said you'd be uncomfortable in New Port, but I'm not going to sit back and let you dive head first into something dangerous."

"He killed Marissa!" Summer said, raising her voice more than she meant to. She took a deep breath, trying to fight off the rage blackout she felt coming on.

"Let me take care of this" Ryan said in a more measured tone, placing his hand on her arm. "Tell me where Seth thinks he is."

"No way" Summer protested. "I'm going with you. Marissa was my best friend."

"I'm going to make sure he pays" Ryan assured her. "And more importantly I'm going to make sure you're safe."

"Oh my God" she groaned as she quickly got up and began to storm down the sidewalk.

"Summer-" Ryan called out as he ran after her. "Summer, wait! Damn it!"

"Look" she said with tears in her eyes as she spun around to face him. "This is important to me! Facing him and telling him what a scumbag I think he is… I need that. I need that if I'm ever going to be able to move on."

"I don't know" he said uncomfortably. He wanted to give Summer what she wanted, but he couldn't let her risk her life either.

"Look Ry, it's like I said before. I'm not Marissa. History isn't going to repeat itself."

"Fine" Ryan sighed. "I'll bring him back."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Summer scoffed.

"You tell me where he is, I'll get him and bring him back to the motel room. You can scream at him, hit him, do whatever it is you want to do to a person when you have a rage black out, and then I'll call the cops and tell them we have him."

"So that's it?" Summer asked as tears filled her eyes.

"Well Sum, I'm not about to let you kill the guy you'd go to prison…"

"That isn't what I meant!" Summer yelled hitting his arm. "You don't want to do anything to him? You don't care about what he did to Marissa anymore?"

"Of course I do" Ryan scoffed.

"We came here because you wanted to beat the hell out of him" she seethed. "You wanted to make him pay for what he did, now it seems like you're doing all of this just to make _me_ happy. What the hell happened?"

"I fell in love with you!" Ryan said in exasperation, throwing his hands in the air. "I'll always care about Marissa, and I want Volchok to pay, but I don't want to beat the hell out of him because I don't want to get in trouble and get taken away from you. And I don't want to run into whatever dump he's staying in with you guns blazing because my worst nightmare is something happening to you."

"Because of what happened to Marissa" Summer nodded understandingly.

"No!" he shouted. "This isn't about Marissa. I love _you_. I want to be with_ you_. Marissa's death messed me up, but if I lost you…. I'd never be able to get past it Summer. You're it for me."

"Why would you say that?" Summer asked as the color drained from her face.

"Because it's the truth" Ryan scoffed. "Why the hell else would fighting with you like this. You are the most frustrating woman I've ever talked to!"

"Fine" Summer said, crossing her arms over her chest. "You get Volchok. Bring him back. Deal?"

"Deal" Ryan smirked, hoping that would be the end of it. "Want to go back to the motel for the night, deal with this in the morning?"

"No" Summer shook her head. "We've been cooped up in there for so long. I don't want to go back right away."

"Okay" Ryan sighed. "What do you want?"

"I want to see a movie."

"Okay, what movie?"

"Doesn't matter" Summer shrugged. "Just nothing with Angelina Jolie in it."

"I thought you liked her?"

"Eh. She got too big for her britches" Summer said with a roll of her eyes.

"Whatever you want" Ryan chuckled as he reached his hand out to her.

"I'm still sort of pissed at you" she warned, backing away.

"I know" he grinned. "I wouldn't expect any less from you.

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"So that movie wasn't terrible" Summer yawned as she plopped down on the bed.

"Yeah it was" Ryan groaned.

"Yeah it was" Summer agreed with a giggle, but it's still better than those foreign movies that Cohen used to make us watch." As soon as the words came out of Summer's mouth she wished that they hadn't. Not only did bringing up Seth make the tension with Ryan go through the roof, but it also upset her. She felt guilty about the way everything was happening, and talking to Seth reminded her of just how much he cared about her and Ryan.

"Was it weird talking to him?" Ryan asked uncomfortably.

"A little" Summer admitted. "I felt pretty scummy about keeping our relationship from him, like we're going behind his back or something."

"But we aren't" Ryan reminded her. "You two aren't together."

"I know" Summer nodded. "But it just felt weird."

"Because you still have feelings for him?" Ryan asked with a pained expression.

"No. Because I'm in love with his brother" Summer scoffed. "And it seems to get more and more intense, like every minute."

"I thought you were pissed at me?" Ryan asked with a crooked grin.

"I am" she shrugged. "You're trying to baby me, and you're being controlling and overbearing, but I know it's because you care about me and that's pretty sweet. Plus every time you smirk at me like that I want to jump your bones."

"Oh yeah?" he laughed as he sat next to her and playfully pulled her into his lap.

"Yeah" she smiled. "Besides, it's probably better this way. An eligible bachelor, going out and bringing me back an ogre to slay."

"Hey" Ryan scolded. "I told you no slaying."

"I know" Summer said, rolling her eyes. "My point is, we compromised. And that is what people do in relationships."

"Huh" Ryan sighed.

"What?" Summer laughed.

"It's just I didn't really think of it that way before. We're in a relationship. I like that."

"Okay, don't get all girly on me Atwood" Summer teased. "I'm exhausted. Time for bed."

"Alright Roberts" he groaned as he picked her up, and tucked her in. "Good night."

"Good night" she smiled back.

**Please Review! **


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